There's always been a story waiting to be told, somewhere between the end of Star Wars and the beginning of The Empire Strikes Back. How did Darth Vader learn the identity of the Rebel pilot who blew up the Death Star and -- given the revelations of later scenes -- how did he react upon realizing it was his own son?

Little did I know, 'til now, that the story was told in comics form, a yarn written by Darko Macan and published as a trade paperback in 1999.

The story begins in an Imperial torture chamber as a Rebel prisoner is forced to reveal the name. Vader's first response is to kill everyone who has heard the name "Skywalker" -- a fruitless gesture, really, since the Rebels are already spreading Luke's name far and wide across the galaxy. His second act is to mount a desperate search to find the Rebel before the news spreads further.

Meanwhile, the golden boy himself is making a goodwill embassy to potential new allies, and cooperation with the natives requires him to mount a solo rescue mission to save a missing daughter.

But wait, there's more. As the Death Star approached Yavin 4 and the Rebels scrambled every fighter they had into the air, did you ever wonder who got bumped from the mission to provide an X-wing for Luke? That pilot is still bitter over what he perceives as his missed shot at Skywalker's glory, and his actions here will have some bearing on the outcome of Vader's mission.

Vader's Quest is a good chapter in the saga, and it fits neatly in the space it needed to fill. Star Wars fans shouldn't miss it.